Telugu superstar Nandamuri Balakrishna has faced significant backlash on social media following the emergence of a video showing him pushing away actress Anjali at an event. Balakrishna, serving as the chief guest at a pre-release event for the actress’ upcoming movie ‘Gangs of Godavari,’ alongside Vishwak Sen and Neha Shetty, is seen in the viral Reddit clip pushing Anjali away on stage after she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Despite Anjali laughing it off, the internet was stunned by Balakrishna’s actions.

In a viral video, Balakrishna is seen on stage as a special guest at a promotional event for ‘Gangs of Godavari.’ Dressed in a white sherwani, he takes centre stage and politely asks the film’s actors, Neha Shetty (attired in a grey crop top and skirt) and Anjali (wearing a white sari), to step aside. However, moments later, he pushes the latter away, nearly causing her to stumble and fall. Initially surprised, Anjali quickly laughs it off along with Neha and others on stage, while Nandamuri maintains a stern expression, continuing to address her.

Watch the video here:

The internet was appalled by his mannerism on stage. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta took to X to repost the video, expressing his dismay with the caption, “Who is this scumbag?” When a fan clarified that the man in question is Nandamuri Balakrishna, a veteran Telugu superstar, an Andhra Pradesh MLA, and the son of the legendary Telugu actor NT Rama Rao, the director responded, “Scumbag x 100.”

Many other netizens were extremely upset with Balakrishna and called him out for being “disrespectful” to women. One user wrote, “It’s crazy how so many people give him a free pass by saying sh*t like ‘it’s just balayya.’” Another one said, “A talented actress treated like sh*t.” Another user stated, “This man is a superstar, a successful politician and he’s on stage being cheered as he pushes a woman co-star.” One more reads, “Typical Indian male trying to show masculinity by battering a woman.” Another commented, “For additional context: That actress has done more than 50+ movies. More than half of them as a lead. Sad that this is the state of the industry and it hurts that there is no transforming this. Won’t be surprised if there comes a pr spin on this.”

Currently, Nandamuri Balakrishna is in the process of filming his 109th movie, which is slated for release in both Telugu and Hindi. As for ‘Gangs of Godavari,’ the film is scheduled for a theatrical release on May 31.